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'Entourage': Has Lloyd left Ari's side for good? Actor Rex Lee spills.

September 20, 2009 | 6:00
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The times, they are a-changin' on "Entourage." Eric's got a new place. Turtle's got his first steady girlfriend. But the most surprising shift? Lloyd's decision to leave Ari.

Lloyd, power agent Ari Gold’s longtime assistant, has been loyal for three long years. The ying to Ari’s yang. But he wants what's coming to him too, and on this season of the "Entourage," he's been pushing hard for a promotion from assistant to agent. After enduring a 100-day trial to earn the boost, the experiment ended abruptly this week when Lloyd did the unthinkable and accepted an agent position at a rival agency.

Rex Lee, the actor who plays Lloyd, said he was excited about his character's bold power play. “It raises the stakes,” he said.

On top of working for Adam Davies, one of Ari’s most infamous industry rivals, Lee reveals that Lloyd will also be in hot pursuit of a certain client close to Ari's heart (not to mention viewers').

“He’s really going to try to get Drama to stay with him even though he left Ari,” Lee said.

Although Lloyd's move may seem final, Lee said things between him and Ari are far from over. “Lloyd is still incredibly loyal to him,” he said. “He really did wish it had worked out. He is excited to be an agent, but it's also not as ideal as he would like.”

And how will Ari handle losing his tormented but beloved right-hand man? The preview for Sunday’s episode hints at an angry confrontation, but Lee said that there will be much more to Ari’s coping technique beyond his trademark tirades. “Ari has an affection for Lloyd that’s really not expressed that often, but it’s there. I think Ari will come to recognize that," he said.

Lloyd's tireless quest for a promotion has led to increased screen time both on the show as well as on Lloyd's series of webisodes and diary posts, but Lee said he would have been just as happy if his character had remained Ari’s assistant for the rest of the series.

“I really had no indication if [the promotion] would ever happen,” Lee said. “I never had a strong feeling about that one way or another. I’m thrilled to be part of this show, and I’m thrilled to work with Jeremy as much as I do. It was never an agenda that I had for the character.”

Thanks to devoted Lloyd fans, he's featured in a series of webisodes created by the show’s producers so viewers could more closely follow Lloyd’s progress throughout his 100-day hurdle. “Most of the people I run into are very excited about what's happening,” he says.

Let's face it, no one wants to see Lloyd without his Ari. Whether Lloyd finds happiness with Davies and company or eventually makes his way back to the Miller Gold Agency is a well-guarded secret. But Lee said things will come to a head by the series' Oct. 4 season finale.